Seed Quality Behaviour Variation of Moth Bean during Storage in Different Packaging

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in order to assess the behavior of the moth bean seed quality in 4 types of packaging including cloth, gunny, HDPE, and vacuum-packed bags for 18 months. After two months of storage, the moisture content of the seeds fluctuated greatly in cloth, gunny, and HDPE bags (conventional packaging) because these materials are pervious, but the moisture content of the seeds did not vary in vacuum packed bags as the polythene bag used for the vacuum package was thicker, had a lower water vapor and oxygen transmission rate. Further, seeds in conventional packaging’s developed bruchid infestations after 4 months of storage but no infestation was found in vacuum-packed bags until 18 months. The bruchid infestation caused the germination rate of the seeds to drop to less than 20%.  In comparison to the initial state, even after 18 months of storage, there was little change in the parameters used for measuring seed quality (germination, total seedling length, seedling dry weight, moisture content, and protein content). Therefore, without the use of chemicals, moth bean seeds can be safely stored using vacuum packaging technology.